Collapsible tube closure



April 26, 1932. MCNUTT I I 1 1,855,979

COLLAPS IBLE TUBE CLOSURE Filed May 5, 1931 gwuentoz' I111. [q /Va ZZ Patented Apr. 26, 19 32 RALPH L. MCNUTT, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURE Application filed May 5, 1931. Serial No. 535,207.

This invention relates to closures, and more particularly to a closure for a collapsible tube.

An object of this invention is to provide in a collapsible tube means for cutting off the material exuding from the tube and at the same time closing the end of the tube, so as to prevent further discharge of the material from the tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure which may be readily mounted on any conventional collapsible tube, the closure taking the place of the ordinary cap.

A further object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple closure of this kind which may be ,readily and cheaply manufactured.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

5 Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a device constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this invention, mounted on a collapsible tube;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view line 4-4 of-Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the closure member in blank form.

Referring to the taken on the drawings Wherem like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates generally a collapsible tube having a discharge neck 12 provided with a discharge opening 13. In order to provide a relatively simple closure for the tube 10, I have provided a body member 11 which is adapted to threadably engage the neck 12 of the tube 10, the body 11 being provided at opposite sides thereof with a channel or guide 1 1.

A slidable closure member, generally designated as 15,'Which is provided with a pair of spaced arms 16, which are free at one en d it is desired to permit discharge of a portion and are connected at the opposite end by means of a body plate 17, is adapted to slidably engage in the guide 14, so as to have transverse movement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube .10. The body 17 is provided with a closure member 18 which extends in the direction of the arms 16 and is disposed in substantially parallel relation thereto, this closure member 18 being slidably mounted on the outer end of the neck 12 and adapted to overlie the discharge opening 13 when the closure member 15 is moved inwardly toward the body 11. A connecting bar 19 is pivotally secured to one of the arms 16 and is adapted to frictionally engage the other arm, this connecting member 19having a relatively wide body portion 20 and a restricted clamping portion 21 which is adapted to engage the free end of one of the arms 16. The opposite end of the connecting 10 member 19 is pivotally secured to the other pi the arms 16'by means of a pivot 22, or the Theclosure member 15 is adapted to be stamped out of asingle sheet of metal which may be bent to form the substantially U- shaped structure disclosed in the drawings. The body portion 17 is adapted to limit the sliding movement of the closure 15 in one direction and the connecting member 19 is adapted to limit the movement of the closure member 15 in the opposite direction, The closure plate 18 is of a width to substantially cover the discharge openin 13 so that when it is-moved into closed posltion, the discharge opening 13 will be closed, and when it is moved into open position, the rounded end 23 will resiliently engage the edge of the neck 12 so that the inward movement of the closure 15 can be readily effected.

In the operation of this device, the usual cap may be removed from the tube 10 and the body portion 11 threaded onto the neck 12, so that the closure plate 18 will be placed under tension when it engages the outer end of the neck 12. The connecting member'19 may be swung inwardly to engage the free end ofthe slide arm 16 oppositely from the hinged end of the connecting member. When IOU . ture therethrough of said slide members, means for of the contents of the tube 10, the connecting bar 19 may be pushed inwardly toward the neck 12 which will carry the plate 18 to one side of the discharge opening 13. When the desired 'quantity of material has been expelled from the tube 10, the body portion 17 may be pushed inwardly toward the neck 12, thereby moving the closure plate 18 over the discharge opening 13 and simultaneously cutting ofi' the material at the outer end of tlie tube 10.

It will be obvious, I a relatively simple but "at the same time-pram tical closure has been disclosednwhich can be readily and cheaply manufactured, and which may be furnished with-any collapsible tube having a plastic material therein. j

It-is, of course. understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the folowing claims.

,I claim 1. A closure of the character described comprising a body-having a threaded aperadapted to threadably engage the neck of a collapsible tube, a,'res1lient closure member, means for slidably mounting the closure member in the body, and means for limiting the sliding movement of the closure member in the body, said latter named means including a bar pivotally mounted at one end on said closure member and having a U-shaped end yieldably engaging said closure.

2. A closure of the character described comprising a body having a threaded aperture therethrough adapted to threadably engage the neck of a collapsible tube, said body also having elongated recesses in opposite sides thereof, a closure member, slides carried by the. closure member and engaging in the recesses of the body, connecting means connecting the free ends of the slides, and means for pivotally mounting said connecting means on one of said slides, said connecting means having a U-shaped endportion for yieldably engaging the opposite slide.

3. In combination with a collapsible tube having a discharge nozzle, a closure member adapted to close said discharge nozzle and movable transversely thereof, said closure member comprising a pair of spaced slide members, an end member secured to one end slidably mounting said slide members 'on the tube, means for limiting the movement of said slide member in one direction, and a closure member secured to the other end of said end member and disposed in parallel relation to aid slide members, said closure member frictionally engaging the outer end of said disfrom the foregoing, that Y signature. 7

RALPH- L. MoNUTT. 

